What did YOU do to your van today?

[AndyBees]

Finishing up a new Stainless Steel exhaust system on the ALH TDI in my '84 Tin-top Vanagon.

Also, I am in the process of replacing all wheel bearings, seals, front and rear, as well as brake shoes & pads and front rotors.. The front is finished. I've sprayed on a bit of penetrating oil on the bolts, etc., of the rear bearing housing. Hopefully, they will all break loose fairly easy when I get back to the job.

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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[Easywind1975]

Waiting on a ball stud to arrive in mail to reassemble throttle cable. Front end jacked up to replace calipers/brake lines/pads, and rain, rain, rain......

Small clearing this evening and bam, front brake components replaced. First round bleeding complete!

Now for Game of Thrones!

[fxr]

Some time ago I added a battery cut-off switch into the ground side of the main battery. This was always fine for working on the engine and as a hinderance to would-be thieves - but I realised that with the aux battery wired with the Gowesty solenoid, turning off the cut-out switch wouldn't stop the engine running (especially the fuel pump!) as the aux battery would back-feed into the main electrics.

So today I ran a 10-gauge ground wire from the aux battery to the main battery -ve post. Now when the cut-out switch is operated, both batteries are isolated and the van is electrically dead. Hopefully never to be used in an emergency...
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[Paulbeard]

Put the lighter weight summer wheels back on. They seem to have less tread than the winter ones but enough. Irritating that they don't use the OEM wrench, not sure if that was a PO's doing or if those wheels don't accommodate the stock nuts.

Any idea where I can score one of these caps?

Missing just the one.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Robw_z]

[Paulbeard]

It looks like a preference for chrome is behind this. I have a set of the non-plated ones as well. Maybe I swap those in and have one less tool to carry.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Paulbeard]

Replaced the $5 FLAPS/Ford control valve with a $20 Balkamp one that seems to be a bit heftier. It seems identical mechanically: ball valve with a keyed shaft and lever. What I discovered about the old one I installed just a few months ago is that it worked but there was no way to know it was closed, no stop in its travel. I suspect the mismatch of the lever travel and the valve's movement broke the stop detent or whatever it is. I could have left it in place had I known that: it would have meant marking where "open" and "close" were. And saving $23…

So lesson learned: it's not a variable control valve, it's an on/off switch. It's quite stiff to move and I fear that if I loosen it, I'll risk ruining it by wearing down the edges of the keyed shaft.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[fxr]

Replaced the crankcase breather tower - on opening up the old one there was no sign that the diaphragm had ever existed...

With luck this will solve most of my high oil usage problem (1 qt every 350 miles or thereabouts).

Replaced the 'low coolant' sensor O-ring - it seems that the old one was on occasion letting coolant escape via that route rather than via the blue pressure cap. Yes, I know, a new pressure cap may be in order, but I hear sorry tales about the newly manufactured replacements.

Pro-tip - when removing old vacuum hose that contains a restrictor, do NOT let the restrictor leap out of its own accord somewhere on top of the engine (or maybe somewhere else). Luckily I managed to obtain some 4.5mm diameter (nylon?) rod, drilled a 6mm length of it with a 0.16mm bit, and stuffed it down the middle of a new vacuum hose joining piece - that should do the job just fine.
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[Old_Ben_Gun]

New seats (folding) Passenger and driver, New metal cooling lines, rebuilt gas tanl with new lines and seals. Inspected same for rust (NONE)

[Paulbeard]

Resumed hostilities with the heater control valve control cable. The valve itself is pretty stiff to operate which puts stress on the cable at the lever end. The cable now has a kink and wants to disengage from the mounting hole. Loosening the valve lever doesn't help because of how the lever is keyed to the shaft: loosening it too much means it no longer engages. I guess I have the summer to figure out a better solution since I don't need heat right now.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Paulbeard]

In the process of pulling the Dometic to replace the noisy fan and look for rust, I b0rked the gas line and now it leaks, meaning I can't use the stove or fridge until I get it fixed. Not pleased, given that camping season is here and the road awaits.

The insulation looked good, not wet or bunched up. It may have been redone when the van got a partial (?) restore in '03, at the same time as the TiiCo went in.

Not a very successful day. I found getting the fridge out much more troublesome than R&R'ing the dash and that would be the case even if it worked when I put it back in.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[fxr]

Over the last few days I've fitted a new Bluetooth CD/receiver, fitted new front seats[1] and mended the analogue clock[2]. Mrs fxr is well pleased.

A previous owner had fitted a humungous amplifier to feed two very ordinary rear speakers - this was an extra power drain that was not required (over 2A quiescent). The new receiver (just a Kenwood - BT365U) has adequate rear speaker output as-is, so the amp has been dumped. It was in the space where the 110V outlets are, so that space is now occupied by the jump leads and tow-rope instead. The installation also meant I've cleaned up 32 years of previous owners' bodged stereo wiring - several yards of wire and 20+ dodgy connectors are now in the bin.

[1] http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=649464

[2] http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=434488
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[occasionallylost]

So 2 months after purchasing my 1984 Vanagon, I finally had the time to do some repairs over the weekend.

Replaced the fuel lines with Continental 30r9
Injector seals
Replaced the spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap/rotor
Oil and drain plug
Rubber vacuum connections for hard plastic lines
3 vacuum hoses from that branch out from the intake boot had tears

[dhaavers]

^^^ Nice! Important safety items...good for you!


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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[bobbyblack]

Cleaned up flywheel with brake cleaner and inspected, found a hairline crack in the clutch mating face, about a 3/8" long, crud!!!

Also cleaned and inspected inner CVs, and put pictures Im not thrilled about here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=656582
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[campism]

Washed it for the first time in months when it has been parked under trees. It looks less disheveled now. I also gave it the annual A/C refrigerant charge in anticipation of a summer trip.
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'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic

[Grimace990]

After 30 years of neglect, "Grimace" got a face lift today. Fresh coat of Royal Blue Rustoleom and trim paint.

[/img]

[joetiger]

[bobbyblack]

That DOES look great!!!! now if there was a close match for LP7Y[X9] Flash Silver, I'd get my roller out!!!!
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[Paulbeard]

Put a big yellow two hook Club™ on it and pulled my hide-a-key after too many tales of wandering vans. Mulling over kill switch options (so many ingenious ideas) before I take to the road this summer.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs